


Let it Snow

by Jbee



Series: Gates of Askr: Year Two [4]
Category: Fire Emblem Heroes, Fire Emblem Series
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:20:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28220805
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jbee/pseuds/Jbee
Summary: It's the first day of the Winter's Festival and the weather outside is frightful! Snowed in, Kiran and Ranulf, are unable to go to the festival, and this selfish summoner must learn to step-up as a hero if she wants to get through the storm with her friendship intact.
Relationships: Lay | Ranulf/Summoner | Eclat | Kiran
Series: Gates of Askr: Year Two [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2038126





	Let it Snow

**Author's Note:**

> This story is part of a collection of short stories driven by the FEH Subreddit Weekly Writing Prompts, Dec. 21th, 2020. "The Order is visited by the mysterious Ghost of Winter's Cheer."

Kiran’s mind drifted as she tried to reread the paragraph she had been stuck on for the last hour. She let the book drop on her chest as she lazed about on the couch all morning. A book on Niðavellir history. She was excited to learn more when she had thought this would be a fun adventure of mysterious Dvergar lore, but she soon came to realize that it was page after page of boring Dvergar politics. Just another Zenith culture, locked in a struggle of power with its neighboring countries. The most interesting fact about them was this nation was feared for their use of technology and magic. Kiran rolled her eyes, and tossed the thick book on the coffee table. She had nothing to worry about, the Dvergar were so far away. Besides, what could they have that she hadn’t already seen in her own world, she wondered as she dragged herself off the couch, pushing up the sleeves of her wool cardigan, and wandering over to the packed boxes by the decorated Winter’s Day tree.

Crouching down, she began sorting through the packages. Gifts, prizes, and other last minute decorations that she had to bring with her to the castle that night to kick-off the start of the Winter’s Day festival. Kiran and many others in the Order of Heroes had been working hard preparing for the week-long celebration. She just couldn’t wait for Ranulf to get back from his morning errands and head over to the castle for the festivities to begin! It was going to be his first in Askr, and she had promised him a grand feast. Kiran had also made plans to meet up with Claude after the opening ceremonies. Strictly professional, of course! After all, it was important to check-in with her supervisor from time to time, she told herself, and pressed her lips together trying to contain the smile that formed when she thought of them hanging out at the festival. Playing some games, sharing a festive treat, her daydreaming bubble bursting when she heard the front door swing open, and felt a rush of cold air flow through the house.

“Kiran?!” Ranulf loudly called out, shutting the door with a hard slam.

“In here!” She pushed herself up to her feet and stepped towards the hall to greet him. “Did you get what you wanted?” Kiran asked, stopping short when she saw him. His dark pea coat, and toque covered in a layer of snow. “Whoa, what happened?”

“Have you not looked outside? The snow started really coming down about an hour ago. There’s a freak snowstorm coming!” Ranulf began to explain, trying to brush off what he could, moving towards the front room, leaving a trail of snow in his wake. “The capital is in a mess with people running around trying to find supplies. They say it’s going to last a day or two.”

“A freak storm?” Kiran’s eyes widened as she repeated his words quietly, touching the tips of her fingers to her lips with a little gasp when she realized if they didn’t hurry they would miss the festival. “We should leave now so we can get to the castle! I’ll get my coat!”

“No time.” Ranulf squatted down in front of the pile of logs that were stacked high beside the hearth. He began counting them, row by row, touching each log with his finger. “There’s no carriages moving, and if we walked it would take hours. We would surely freeze! It’s better to stay here.”

“But what about the festival?!”

“Well, hopefully the storm will be over before the end of the week and we can catch the last day.”

“But it’s your first one! You’ll miss the big feast!”

“There will be other festivals.” Ranulf attempted to reassure her. He stood to his feet, reaching up and removing the logs on top of the pile. He filled his arms with as much wood as he could carry, and returned to the hallway. “I’m going to need you to gather all the blankets from around the house. We can hang them across the windows and this entry to keep the heat in, so we can ride out the storm in this front room. We’ll burn through less wood that way.”

“W-why?” Kiran stuttered in confusion, and followed him out of the front room. “Where are you going with our firewood?” She demanded to know, her brows pinching together.

“No one was expecting this much snow to come so soon there is a shortage of wood in the capital. The loggers are struggling to keep up with demand, and they can’t deliver to many of the houses outside the city center. I’m just going to check that the neighbors have enough.” He huffed, adjusting the logs he was carrying so he could balance them in one arm. “Especially Madam Dier next door, she’s old, and relies on the wood carts to supply her. If she is running low, we will need to share what we have with her.”

“But – “

“Enough!” Ranulf finally barked, running out of patience with his short-sighted summoner. “Please don’t fight me on this, and do what I ask.”

“I was just going to say, if we don’t heat the entire house, your plants will die!” Kiran snapped back, clutching her fists as her temper got the best of her.

Ranulf let out a long sigh, looking down at her from the corner of his eyes. “They’re just plants, Kiran, there’s more important matters to take care of.” He paused, steeling himself and tightening the collar of his coat with one hand, reaching for the door handle after. “In the meantime, can you clean the snow on the floor up? It's a hazard. Once you have all the bedding down, start nailing them up over the arch. I’ll be back to help once I know everyone else in this area is going to be alright.” He instructed before opening the door and letting a rush of cold snowy air flood the front of the small cottage entry. Ranulf stepped into the bright white blizzard, and shut the door quickly behind him.

Kiran would have shivered if she wasn’t fuming from the news he just dropped on her. She stared at the door, burning a hole in it with her anger, and cursing as she turned to climb the iron spiral staircase, stomping loudly on each step. She reached her bedroom and pushed the door open, mumbling under her breath while she tore the blankets off her bed, tossing them towards the door, and repeating the same action to the sheets. Kiran took her frustration out on the poor threads. She grabbed her pillow from her bed and shoved her face into it, screaming as hard as she could. Her muffled cry slowly turned into a long wail that was choked out with tears, as she fell onto her bare mattress and sobbed into the pillow.

It’s not fair! She thought to herself. Her grand visions of taking her friends around the festival dashed by a weather event of all things. The Gods of Hel and Nightmares couldn’t stop her, but snow? You bet that could! All that work, all the preparation she had poured into setting up the perfect festival. Wasted. She wouldn’t be there to see anyone enjoy it, and it was her time! Her moment to prove to Askr she could do something right. Last year she was new to the Order, but this year, this was the year she was going to show them how far she had come. Give those snobs in the royal court something else to talk about other than her frumpy coat for once, she thought bitterly.

Kiran rolled over onto her back and blew out her cheeks. She felt her red hot face begin to prick from the cold air. The temperature in the room had already begun to drop. The small amount of wood left in the fireplace was not enough to heat the house.

She grumbled and pushed herself from out of the bed, gathering up the sheets and blankets from the floor and carrying them downstairs to the front living room, dropping them in a pile at the threshold, and going off to find tools and a chair. She sighed when she returned, reluctantly starting her task of hanging blankets across the entry and enclosing the room to keep the heat in. Ranulf was right, of course, to go out and check on their neighbors. He always did what had to be done without complaint. Why couldn’t she be more like that? She was nothing like that, and helping the neighbors didn’t make her feel better about the situation. She snorted as she carelessly hammered nails into the wall one after another, using her anger to fuel each swing. Now this, this was making her feel better! Kiran smirked as she hit the nail on the head again with a loud bang.

Ranulf swung the front door open, as Kiran’s hammer came down on the wall again. “I’m back! It was as I suspected, Madam Deir was due for a top-up, and needed much of our wood.” He informed her, shaking off the snow on his coat and hanging it up. He looked down at the plate of goodies the old neighbor gave them, paying no mind to what the summoner was doing. “The good news is she gave us some of the festival bake goods she had made as a gift!” 

He beamed in delight and swiftly walked into the front room, unaware of the puddle in his path until it was too late. Ranulf’s eyes widened as his foot slipped out from under him, throwing him off balance. His arms tossing the plate of goodies into the air as he fell backwards into the wall frame with his shoulder. The loud crash drowned out by the even louder yawl that he let out once he made contact with the floor.

“Ranulf!” Kiran cried out, jumping down from her chair, and rushing over in a panic. “Oh no, oh no! I forgot to clean the puddles up! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! Are you alright?!”

“No…” He groaned, rolling over onto his side, he favored his left arm, as it lay motionless. “It’s my arm.”

“Is it broken?” She gasped, kneeling down, afraid if she touched him she would make it worse.

“I don’t think so.” He propped himself up against the wall with a grunt. “I think it’s dislocated. It’s not that bad. Just... painful, but I need you to help me set it back in place.”

“We need to get you to the castle to see a healer!”

“That’s not possible.” Ranulf shook his head, closing his eyes and resting his head on the wall. “The snow…”

“I don’t know what to do! I hate going into the medical tent!” Kiran looked down at his limp arm, turning pale. “There has to be somewhere I can take you!”

“Kiran – “

“What if I go get help?” She ignored him, nodding at her own idea with a panicked smile across her face.

“Stop, Kiran listen – “

“I could bring them back here!” She looked at the front door with wide eyes, hopping to her feet and grabbing her scarf from the hat hooks along the wall.

“For the love of Askr, Kiran focus!” Ranulf shouted, cursing through his clenched teeth after.

Kiran’s bottom lip began to quiver. “I can’t…” she whimpered, falling to her knees at his side, a hot tear flowed over her cheek.

“Yes you can. I know you can.” Ranulf gently reassured her, wiping away the wet streak on her face with the thumb of his good hand. “Now listen to me. Go to the kitchen and grab a length of cheesecloth, that jar of ointment we use on bruises, and that bottle of rum under the counter, with a glass.” He paused, watching her eyes glaze over. “Did you get all that?”

Kiran nodded her head quietly, as she continued to stare at his arm.

Ranulf rolled his eyes, and nudged her with his good hand. “Then go!”

“I’m sorry!” Kiran gasped, her mind snapping back to reality and her body to action. “I’m going! I’m going!” She scrambled to her feet and ran down the hall to the kitchen, mumbling the items she needed under her breath as Ranulf groaned, pushing himself up to his feet.

Kiran rummaged through the kitchen, tossing the things she didn’t need out of the way, desperately searching for the items she did want. She threw the lightweight cloth over her shoulder, and tucked the bottle of rum under her arm, carrying the rest with her hands as she rushed back to the front room to meet Ranulf.

“Good, good.” He sat in front of the hearth now, tossing a log of wood into the fire with his good arm. Embers floated out from the hot glowing mouth, disappearing into the cold air. “Put the ointment on the hearth to warm it up, and pour a glass of rum out.”

She did what he asked, not saying a word, Kiran’s heart raced in her chest in anticipation, she popped the cork out of the bottle and filled the glass. What was he going to have her do? She wondered, not wanting to really know the answer. As the summoner she was no stranger to seeing injured soldiers, but she would always send them off to the healers. She never had to worry about performing medical feats herself. She held the glass towards him, the clear brown liquid licking the sides of the glass as her hand shook violently.

Ranulf sat in front of her, inspecting his shoulder, not looking up as he gave orders. “Drink it.”

“W-what?” She stumbled on her words.

“So you will calm down.” He looked at her from the corner of his eye and chuckled. “You’re wound too tight, and it’s making me anxious!”

The corner of Kiran’s lip twitched, and she tried to swallow the hard ball of nerves in her throat, looking at the glass shaking in her hand. She took a deep breath and quickly brought it to her lips, tilting it forward and letting the warm fluid flood her mouth. Draining the entire glass in one swift motion. Kiran winced, gasping as she closed her eyes tightly, and she scrunched up her nose, involuntarily shaking her head as the drink burned her throat, heating her from the inside out.

Ranulf smiled in amusement at her reaction, taking the bottle and chugging from it himself. He drank almost half of its contents before he set it aside, wiping his lips with the back of his hand. “I’m going to lay back, and I want you to take a hold of my wrist when I say so.” He instructed, shuffling his body into position, and lowering himself down slowly, placing his good arm behind his head. He stared up at the ceiling, taking a moment for the alcohol to hit his system, relaxing his body.

Kiran quietly watched his chest rise and fall with each breath, the sound of the cracks and pops in of the fire were soothing. Her mind swam from the strong rum, and it melted away any doubts she had, calming her mind. Ranulf broke the silence as he cleared his throat, nodded his head, and gestured for her to take his hand in hers. “Slowly move it nighty degrees, and then rotate it gently.” He instructed, after she slipped her fingers between his, gently taking hold of his hand.

“Like this?” She lifted his arm and guided it upward. “How will I know if I’m doing this right?”

“Oh ho, you’ll know.” Ranulf snickered, closing his eyes, bracing himself. “Keep going.”

Kiran hit a bit of resistance as she slowly rotated his arm, then she heard a soft sickening pop as the limp arm slid back into place. She gasped, and her eyes widened, and she squeezed his hand. “I felt it! I felt it!” She chanted, her eyes glossing over while her smile, and the colour in her face drained away. She held her stomach, and looked away. “I think I’m going to be sick…”

Ranulf chuckled, as he sat up, a look of relief washed over his face. He reached for the jar of ointment, removing some of its contents with his fingers, and rubbed it on his shoulder.

“What do I do now?” Kiran asked with bated breath.

“You can relax now; the worst part is over.” Ranulf picked up the length of cloth, cradling his arm in it.” Help me with this sling, would ya?”

She nodded, and moved to tie the cloth around his neck, pulling the ends tightly causing him to jump. “Did that hurt?!”

“No, no.” He shook his head, and laughed, placing his hand on hers. “Your fingers are cold. You should make yourself some tea. Warm yourself up.”

“I think I would much rather have more of that rum…” Kiran gave a nervous laugh and sat back on her heels. “Is there anything else I can do for you?”

Ranulf lowered himself back down again. “Not right now. I’m just going to lay here for a bit.” He yawned, and closed his eyes. “You did good, Kiran, thank-you.”

“No, It’s all my fault, I feel so bad.” Kiran looked down at her clenched fists in her lap, disappointed with her own behavior. “I should have cleaned the floors as soon as you left, and not let my feelings about missing the festival cloud my mind. I acted like such a jerk!” She spat, pausing to sniff back a tear. “Can you ever forgive me?”

He laid on the floor quietly, unresponsive to her question. “Ranulf?” She meekly asked, leaning over as he let out a short snort, that rolled into a wave of longer rippling snores. She slumped back and laughed, that man really could sleep anywhere!

Kiran sighed and looked around, shivering as a chill in the air set in, and realized she would have to finish preparing the room by herself. Her gaze fell on the boxes of decorates she had planned to take to the castle, and she smiled, pushing herself to her feet, and rolling the sleeves of her cardigan up to her elbows. Time to get to work, she smirked, and time to do something good too!

* * *

A cloud of fogged breath floated around Kiran’s head as she placed what she could salvage from Madam Dier’s baked goods onto a platter of various meats, cheeses and fruits. Adding a spoonful of fig jam, and a row of thinly sliced bread. She quickly blew out the candle, and picked up her tray, proceeding to walk carefully down the dark hallway. She followed the crack of soft orange light shining from behind the blankets hung in over the threshold of the front room, and pushed her way in with her shoulder letting the heat that had been trapped wash over her.

Kiran ducked her head under the vines and ivy that hung from the ceiling, and placed the platter on the coffee table. She smiled as she looked around, the small room crowded with all different species of plants covered in festive decorations. She had brought all the plants from Ranulf’s bedroom over and placed the leftover ornaments on them. Brightly colored glass bulbs and ribbons clung to the leafy stems that dangled from above, and hung from their large palms that grew from pots on the floor. She had found the whole process very therapeutic, moving the plants in and decorating them, she was no longer upset about the festival, and was actually quite happy to stay home surrounded by this festive forest of her own creation.

Ranulf snorted and winced as he began to stir out of his sleep. He groaned loudly when he tried to move his injured arm, awakening to a rude reminder of what had happened earlier that day. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his other hand, slowly noticing the changes in the appearance of the space. “What… is all this?” His mouth gaped open, and he pushed himself to sit up.

“Well I thought since we couldn’t make it to the festival, I would bring the festivities to us!” Kiran happily told him, pouring some tea into a pair of cups. “But mostly I really didn’t want your plants to die. I know how much they mean to you. How do you feel?”

“Better. How long was I asleep?” He continued to look up at the plants in awe, the corners of his mouth turning upward. “This would have taken hours!”

“Yeah, well, you were pretty out of it!” Kiran giggled, eating a green grape and recalling that no matter how loud she was, even when she accidently dropped an unfortunate succulent that she hid in the corner, he didn’t even twitch in his deep sleep. “I thought you might be hungry, so I put together a small charcuterie board! I’m Sorry, it’s not the feast I promised we would have had at the castle.”

“Hey, you put together something that’s edible, and that’s all that matters!” Ranulf teased, helping himself to the assortments of food on the platter.

“I see your sense of humor is still intact!” She sarcastically snorted, drinking her tea.

Ranulf chuckled and continued to eat, the expression on his face empathetic. “I’m sorry the storm came and ruined your night. I know how much you were looking forward to going to the festival.”

Kiran sat back and waved him off. “It’s fine, I was blowing everything out of proportion and being really selfish. You’re right, there will be more festivals!” She laughed, spreading jam on some bread, then shaking the end of the knife at him. “And I bet none of them will be as memorable as this one will be!”

“That’s very true!” Ranulf stared at the green grape he held between his fingers lost in his own thoughts. A smirk formed on his face and he quickly stood up, walking swiftly across the room. “Stay right there!” He instructed, pushing through the hanging blankets with his good arm.

Kiran nodded and quietly continued to eat, enjoying the peace and quiet. Just her and the relaxing sound of the fire. She was a fool to get so worked up over the festival, she had everything she could ever want right here. Screw what they will say about her in the royal court, they probably would have found something rude to gossip about anyways.

Ranulf was not gone for long, and he reentered the front room holding a gift box in his hand, giving it to her as he sat down beside the summoner. “I was going to wait until next week, but here, Happy early Winter’s Day Kiran.”

“We agreed that we would not do a gift exchange!” Kiran frowned when she looked at the small rectangle box. “I don’t have anything to give to you…”

“Well, it wasn’t really for Winter’s Day. I was going to give it to you on the anniversary of my summoning to Askr, but this feels like better timing. Besides, saving my plants is a gift in itself.” Ranulf chuckled, and nodded his head towards the gift. “Go on, open it!”

“No one has ever given me something for summoning them here…” Kiran mused, pulling at the ribbon and lifting the lid. There, laying in the box, a fragment of a green stone pendant on a thin gold chain. She lightly gasped, picking up the delicate necklace and holding it in front of her face, the small green stone sparkled as it caught the light. “Oh! I… don’t know what to say…”

“I kept the stone that cracked when I came through the gate a year ago. I was just curious about it at the time. I thought it was neat, so I decided to have my keychain made with the stone. There were some fragments left over, and I had that pendant made for you.” Ranulf quietly explained, embarrassed, he began rubbing the back of his head. “You don’t have to wear it, or anything – “

“I love it, it’s beautiful!” Kiran finally exclaimed, grinning ear to ear. She threw her arms around his neck, and planted her lips on his cheek. “Ranulf, thank-you so much! Could you hold my hair back so I can put it on?” She asked, turning her back and not wasting any time trying the gift on. She sighed, and shivered as his warm fingers brushed across her neck, holding her curls to the side while she linked the chain. Kiran faced him excitedly, beaming in delight, touching the pendent with her fingers. “I’m never taking it off. Not in a million years!”

“You have no idea how happy that makes me feel.” Ranulf felt his cheeks flush, and the well of emotion he normally kept capped off overflowed within him as he stared into her eyes. Washing away any fears or doubts. “Kiran…”

And as quickly as he began his confession, he abruptly stopped. Ranulf's ear twitched when he heard something odd just inside their yard. The sounds of sleigh bells, and whispers. Three, no, four people, and labored steps in the deep snow followed by heavy knocking at their front door.

“Who could that be?” Kiran curiously looked over his shoulder. “Maybe one of the neighbors?”

Ranulf pushed himself to his feet and headed for the door. “I told them to all stay put. That I would check-up on them in the morning.” He pushed the blankets to the side, entering the chilly hallway, and he reached for the door handle. Kiran curiously watched from the front room, only her head poking out, clutching the loose blankets around her chin.

“Happy Winter’s Festival!” Their visitors cheered, as Ranulf opened the door. They pushed themselves into the home singing carols and giggling, brushing the snow off their heavy winter coats and hats.

“What is going on?!” Kiran laughed in surprise as their guests piled in, and Ranulf quickly shut the door again to save the heat.

“Wow, look at this place!” Nils let himself into the front room, followed by Claude, Sakura, and Tusbasa. They all stared in wonder at the decorated plants that filled the room.

“How did you guys get here? All the roads are closed!” Kiran laughed, exchanging bewildered looks with Ranulf.

“Ah, the roads are closed, but the skies are blear and creezy!” Tusbasa grinned, bright red rosy cheeks. Her eyes grew comically wide when she realized her error. “I mean, clear and breezy!”

“A lot of the heroes that have mastered the art of flight are out patrolling tonight.” Sakura explained, holding a large basket in her arms. “Making sure all is well for the citizens in the capital.”

“We thought we would drop by to check on you guys!” Claude also held a similar basket and placed it down on the table, flipping the top open to reveal assorted packages, filling the room with the delicious aroma of cooked meats and vegetables. “Maybe share a festival meal?!”

“Ranulf, look!” Kiran cried, pointing at the bountiful dinner the other heroes brought. “They brought some of the feast!”

“I see, I see!” Ranulf laughed joining the group, clapping Claude’s shoulder with his good hand. “This is really great you guys! It smells fantastic!”

“Hey, what happened to your arm?” Claude raised his eyebrow when he noticed the cloth sling wrapped around Ranulf’s body.

“Oh! It’s a long story.” Ranulf chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’ll tell you after I get back!”

“Where are you going?” Kiran turned in concern, she had been showing off her necklace to their other guests.

“I just want to swing by Madam Dier’s again. Make sure she’s hanging in there.” Ranulf announced, throwing his heavy pea coat on, and fumbling with a few logs of wood. “Then I will be back to enjoy all this food with you guys!”

“I’ll go with you!” Nils jumped up, catching a few logs that managed to roll out of Ranulf’s arm. “Looks like you could use an extra hand, or at least two workable ones!” Nils teased, following Ranulf out of the front room and outside into the cold night.

Ranulf sighed, the fog of his breath escaping and drifting around his face. He looked up at the night sky, the storm had passed, and the bright full moon hung in the company of a hundred sparkling stars.

“You gave her the pendant already?” Nils quietly inquired beside him. He was the only soul that had known about the gift, and been there during the shopping trip.

“Yeah.” Ranulf was laconic, he wasn’t sure yet if he felt disappointed, or relieved that their friends had shown up when they did.

“And?”

“And, what?” Ranulf mumbled, stepping off the stoop, and making his way along the snow covered garden path. “There’s nothing else to talk about.”

Nils quickly caught up with him, and pushed for more information. “Oh come on, you know what I mean – “

“Drop it Nils.” Ranulf coldly warned him, sighing sadly again while he trudged through the snow. He decided to place that cap back on his well of thoughts and emotions that swirled in his mind. To push away the feelings that plagued his heart, and buried deep within. “This is what’s best for the both of us.”

End.


End file.
